Wireless channel sounder with fast measurement speed and wide dynamic range

Abstract

An example device includes antennas to receive wireless signals from a wireless transmitter and to output radio frequency signals based upon the wireless signals that are received, low noise amplifiers coupled to the antennas to amplify the radio frequency signals, and a receiver stage to generate, based upon the radio frequency signals, digital representations of the wireless signals that are received via the antennas and to determine a measure a wireless channel parameter from the digital representations of the wireless signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 activating, by a processing system including at least one processor, a first plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving, by the processing system from a transmitter, a first plurality of wireless signals via the first plurality of antennas and the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 determining, by the processing system, a first measure of a wireless channel parameter based upon the first plurality of wireless signals that is received; 
 deactivating, by the processing system, the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 activating, by the processing system, a second plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas comprises different antennas from the first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving, by the processing system from the transmitter, a second plurality of wireless signals via the second plurality of antennas and the second plurality of low noise amplifiers; and 
 determining, by the processing system, a second measure of the wireless channel parameter based upon the second plurality of wireless signals that is received. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving timing information for transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers and the deactivating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers are synchronized to the transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals; and 
 receiving timing information for transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the second plurality of low noise amplifiers is synchronized to the transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a first control signal to a plurality of switches, wherein the first control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the first plurality of wireless signals from a first port of a plurality of input ports to an output port. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 providing a second control signal to the plurality of switches, wherein the second control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the second plurality of wireless signals from a second port of the plurality of input ports to the output port. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the first plurality of wireless signals, and wherein the second control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of wireless signals and the second plurality of wireless signals comprise test signals for determining measures of the wireless channel parameter, the measures comprising the first measure and the second measure. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus comprising:
 a processing system including at least one processor; and 
 a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 activating a first plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving a first plurality of wireless signals from a transmitter via the first plurality of antennas and the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 determining a first measure of a wireless channel parameter based upon the first plurality of wireless signals that is received; 
 deactivating the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 activating a second plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas comprises different antennas from the first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving a second plurality of wireless signals from the transmitter via the second plurality of antennas and the second plurality of low noise amplifiers; and 
 determining a second measure of the wireless channel parameter based upon the second plurality of wireless signals that is received. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving timing information for transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers and the deactivating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers are synchronized to the transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals; and 
 receiving timing information for transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the second plurality of low noise amplifiers is synchronized to the transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing a first control signal to a plurality of switches, wherein the first control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the first plurality of wireless signals from a first port of a plurality of input ports to an output port. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing a second control signal to the plurality of switches, wherein the second control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the second plurality of wireless signals from a second port of the plurality of input ports to the output port. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the first plurality of wireless signals, and wherein the second control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of wireless signals and the second plurality of wireless signals comprise test signals for determining measures of the wireless channel parameter, the measures comprising the first measure and the second measure. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of low noise amplifiers and the first plurality of antennas are arranged into one or more sectors. 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 activating a first plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving a first plurality of wireless signals from a transmitter via the first plurality of antennas and the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 determining a first measure of a wireless channel parameter based upon the first plurality of wireless signals that is received; 
 deactivating the first plurality of low noise amplifiers; 
 activating a second plurality of low noise amplifiers that is coupled to a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas comprises different antennas from the first plurality of antennas; 
 receiving a second plurality of wireless signals from the transmitter via the second plurality of antennas and the second plurality of low noise amplifiers; and 
 determining a second measure of the wireless channel parameter based upon the second plurality of wireless signals that is received. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving timing information for transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers and the deactivating of the first plurality of low noise amplifiers are synchronized to the transmission of the first plurality of wireless signals; and 
 receiving timing information for transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals, wherein the activating of the second plurality of low noise amplifiers is synchronized to the transmission of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing a first control signal to a plurality of switches, wherein the first control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the first plurality of wireless signals from a first port of a plurality of input ports to an output port. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing a second control signal to the plurality of switches, wherein the second control signal causes each of the plurality of switches to pass one of the second plurality of wireless signals from a second port of the plurality of input ports to the output port. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the first plurality of wireless signals, and wherein the second control signal is synchronized to the transmitting of the second plurality of wireless signals. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of wireless signals and the second plurality of wireless signals comprise test signals for determining measures of the wireless channel parameter, the measures comprising the first measure and the second measure. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of low noise amplifiers and the first plurality of antennas are arranged into one or more sectors.